Chapter 3 - The Confrontation at the Dock
The salt air of Boston Harbor bit sharply against Norah’s face as she stepped out of her Civic near Pier 4. The sprawling shipping yards and private warehouses belonging to Reyes Logistics sat silent under the gray afternoon sky, guarded by towering chain-link fences and discreet surveillance cameras.
She didn't need to ask for entry; the moment her car approached the security gate, the heavy iron barrier swung open automatically. Two dark sedans flanked her path, escorting her directly to the main terminal building where Dominic’s private office overlooked the water.
When Norah pushed open the glass doors of the terminal office, Dominic was standing by the massive drafting tables reviewing shipping manifests. He looked up immediately, sensing her presence before she even spoke.
"You're making a mistake," Norah said, her voice echoing off the concrete floors.
Dominic set down his pen, walking slowly toward her. He wore a heavy charcoal overcoat, his dark hair ruffled by the harbor wind he must have encountered earlier. "I am keeping you safe."
"You are suffocating me!" Norah stepped forward, her finger pointing accusingly at his chest. "You militarized my hospital, you bought off my administrator, and you are treating my life like a subsidiary of Reyes Holdings! I didn't come to you last night to ask for an armed escort, Dominic. I came so my daughter would know her father. If you can't respect my boundaries, then you don't get to be in her life."
The harsh words hung in the air like breaking glass.
Dominic absorbed the blow without flinching, but the dark intensity in his eyes flared dangerously. "You think this is about control?" he asked softly, stepping closer until she was forced to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. "Last night, when you walked out of my office, I ran a trace on the digital footprint of that forged email. Do you know where it originated?"
Norah blinked, her anger momentarily stalling. "Where?"
"From a server registered to a shell corporation owned by Arthur Reyes," Dominic said, his voice dropping into a flat, lethal calm. "My uncle isn't just protecting the family name. He’s liquidating assets and repositioning capital through overseas accounts. And three days ago, an inquiry was made from that same shell corporation regarding the pediatric staff directory at Mercy Community Hospital."
Norah’s breath caught. The anger dissolved, replaced by a cold, creeping dread. "He was looking for Lily."
"Yes," Dominic said grimly. "Which means the moment Arthur realized you were still alive and raising my child, you and Lily became targets in a war he thinks he can win by cutting off my bloodline."
Norah stepped back, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped her coat collar. All her carefully constructed defenses—her independence, her routine, her belief that she could hide from his world—shattered into dust. She had thought her greatest enemy was Dominic's absence; she hadn't realized his presence was the only thing standing between her daughter and a predator.
"I didn't know," Norah whispered.
"I know you didn't," Dominic said, his tone softening as he reached out, this time gently taking her cold hand in his. "That’s why my men are at the hospital. That’s why you can't go back to your apartment tonight."
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Norah looked up at him, the realization of her vulnerability washing over her. "Where are we going?"
"My estate," Dominic said quietly. "Where nobody touches my family."
